


Lovesick

by Sabeley



Series: Lovesick [1]
Category: SKAM (TV)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Dry Humping, Even is a horrible flirt, Even's POV, Fluff, Isak loves it, Kid Fic, M/M, dad!even, doctor!Isak
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-23
Updated: 2017-09-28
Packaged: 2019-01-04 13:50:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 20,871
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12170145
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sabeley/pseuds/Sabeley
Summary: Even is absolutelynotmaking up excuses to take his daughter to see the hot new pediatrician. (Except he totally is.)Or 5 times Even's daughter wasn't actually sick and 1 time she was.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Additional translation into Русский available [here](https://ficbook.net/readfic/6512543/16650851) by [chermustdie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/chermustdie/pseuds/chermustdie).

1\. 

Ever since Even was a child, he had been afraid of going to the doctor. Everything about it freaked him the fuck out—the white coats that made you feel like some sort of science experiment, the ice cold stethoscope pressed against your bare skin, the miserly old man telling you to eat more fruits and vegetables. He thought it was probably a fear you were supposed to grow out of, but right around the time he should have, he had his first manic episode and was forced to see not one, not two, but three miserly old men before finally being diagnosed with bipolar disorder. 

After that, it took months of doctor’s visits and therapy to finally figure out a medication regimen that worked, but didn’t make him feel dead inside, and even now as an adult, when he had been stable for over a decade, he still had to go through the same invasive questions at his annual check-ups each year. So, no, Even did not like going to the doctor. Juliet got that from him. 

Sonja swore that she did fine when it was just the two of them, but when Even was there, it was like she could sense his internal panic and fed off of it like a hurricane until they were both a swirling vortex of anxiety and tears. On six-year-old Juliet it was cute; on Even, it was not. Sonja decided very quickly that she would handle all medical visits, which was why Even was so surprised when she called him up one night towards the end of the summer and asked if he could take Juliet to the doctor the next day. 

“I know you don’t like doing it,” Sonja drawled and he could almost see her rolling her eyes as she cradled the phone between her ear and her shoulder. “But something came up at work and I’m not going to be able to get off. I wouldn’t ask, but she needs these shots before school starts. You’re not on set tomorrow, are you?” 

“Well, no,” Even replied, his heart racing at the mere mention of the doctor’s office. “But—” 

“Good,” Sonja interrupted. “The appointment’s at ten. I can drop her off at your place on my way to work.” 

“Sonja,” Even tried to argue, but he knew by the tone of her voice that it wasn’t up for debate. “I don’t know if this is a good idea.” 

“This is what ‘joint custody’ means, Even,” she snapped, but immediately sobered, letting out a long sigh. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just been a long day.” 

“No, it’s fine,” Even huffed, knowing that arguing at this point would only start a fight that he was too tired to finish. Never let it be said that he wouldn’t do anything for his daughter. “I can take her.” 

“Okay, good,” Sonja said gratefully. “Thank you. I’ll be there at nine-thirty.” 

* 

As soon as Even opened his front door the next morning, Juliet lunged at him in a blur of long, blonde curls and baby blue taffeta. 

“Daddy!” she screamed, jumping into his already waiting arms. He spun her around a few times until they were both dizzy, and then pulled her to his chest so he could kiss the tip of her nose lightly. She scrunched it in reply, but laughed at the attention and Even’s heart soared at the sight of her—the one thing he’d managed to get right in his life. 

“You look so pretty this morning,” he said, taking in the Elsa costume she was wearing. Juliet preened, reaching down to run the silk skirt through her fingers. 

“Momma said I could wear it to the doctor,” she grinned, looking over at Sonja who smiled back sheepishly. 

“Yeah?” Even asked, setting her back down on the floor. “I think that’s a great idea. And you know what? I’m pretty sure there’s a crown to match that in your bedroom if you want to go get it.” Juliet’s smile got impossibly wider and she took off running immediately. 

“Hurry, Juliet,” Sonja warned. “Don’t keep your dad waiting.” They both watched her disappear around the corner and, when she was gone and there was nothing left to distract them, they turned back to each other. 

“Sorry about the princess dress,” Sonja sighed, rubbing her hand over her forehead like she was trying to relieve some of the tension there. “But it was all she wanted to wear and I actually read online that—” 

“Having something familiar around might comfort her,” Even finished, thinking back to his own research the night before. “No, it was smart. She doesn’t seem worried at all.” 

Sonja let out a small laugh, pushing her hair out of her eyes. “Hopefully it stays that way.” She gave him a pointed look, silently trying to impress on him the importance of managing his own anxiety, but even without words, he heard it loud and clear. “So, here are the immunization papers for the school,” she said, pulling them out of her purse and passing them over. “The doctor needs to sign those and—I know you’re not going to be happy about this, but it’s not Dr. Olsen anymore. She moved, apparently. Sold her practice to some young guy. I haven’t met him yet, but everyone I’ve talked to seems to love him, so just see what you think, okay?” 

“Sonja,” Even whined, even though he knew it wasn’t her fault. He had to do this with a _new_ doctor? He’d been mentally preparing himself for Dr. Olsen. Now his internal role-play was all wrong. He was going to fuck it up. 

“Even,” Sonja mocked with a smile. “It’s going to be fine.” She stood on her tiptoes and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Juliet!” she cried and the girl instantly came bounding around the corner, a crown cocked comically on top of her head. “Come tell Momma goodbye.” Juliet ran over and hugged Sonja’s knees, allowing her to straighten the crown before she let go. “Okay, you be good for your dad,” she said, kissing her forehead. “I’ll see you both later.” Then, with one last wave, she was gone. 

Even and Juliet stood in the foyer just staring at each other for several long seconds. Even wondered if she could sense his hesitation even now and forced himself to choke it back. “Okay,” he said, clapping his hands together. “Let’s get this show on the road. Come on, princess. Your carriage awaits.” Juliet, in a very good impression of her mother, rolled her eyes to the ceiling. 

“I’m not a princess, Daddy,” she scoffed. “I’m a queen.” Of course. How could he have forgotten? 

* 

Juliet was doing great. Even, however, was not. He sat in a chair in the corner of the examination room, his foot tapping nervously on the ground as Juliet continued her ten-minute monologue on _Frozen._ She was usually pretty shy around strangers, but the Elsa costume must be giving her confidence because she’d been talking non-stop since they walked into the office—first to the receptionist at the front desk, then to the nurse who took them back, and now to Even, whose heart was racing painfully in his chest. He supposed it was probably a good thing since he was in no condition to carry on any meaningful conversation himself, but he probably shouldn’t be using his six-year-old daughter as a crutch. Still, it was nice to see her happy. 

The whole doctor’s office was decorated like an ocean with massive aquariums in the waiting room that Juliet absolutely loved and fish painted in mass on the walls in the examination rooms. Even stared at a purple cartoon octopus and wished that he too could camouflage himself into the wall behind him. Octopi could do that, right? Or was that squid? Either way, he wanted to disappear. 

He knew he had no reason to be freaking out—knew that _he_ wasn’t the one that was about to be administered a semi-painful shot—but he was still nervous that the doctor might find something wrong with his daughter and blame it on him. He wasn’t exactly a wellspring of good genetics. Every time he sat in this room, surrounded by cartoon fish, he couldn’t help but worry about a day when he would sit in this exact same place and be told that the same disease that afflicted him, afflicted his daughter as well. 

His foot started tapping harder against the ground, the sound of it carrying even over Juliet’s voice, and it was only as she began swinging her feet against the metal examination table she was sitting on in time to his fidgeting that he stopped, looking up at her with a nervous smile. “Sorry,” he said, although he wasn’t even sure she realized anything was wrong. She scrunched her eyebrows in confusion, but Even didn’t want to give her time to ask a question, so he jumped in with one of his own, hoping to distract the both of them. “Which fish is your favorite?” he asked, gesturing to the room around them. Juliet eagerly turned in all directions, looking at the myriad of fish around the room, before finding a dolphin on top of the door and waxing poetic about it until a knock interrupted her. She immediately fell silent. 

“Knock, knock,” a soft voice said, stepping into the room and shutting the door behind him. Although Even hadn’t thought it possible, his heart started pounding even harder, only this time for a very different reason. He’d prepared himself mentally for what he thought were all possible scenarios of how this doctor’s visit could go wrong, but somehow he’d skipped right over “Hard-on for the Doctor.” He should have known, really. He was long overdue for some crippling embarrassment. 

But damn, this guy was every wet dream Even had ever had rolled into one person. Maybe it was because Juliet had been talking about cartoons all morning, but looking at him, Even couldn’t help but think that he looked like a fucking Disney prince. He had wavy blonde hair, broad shoulders, a thin waist. Stick a crown on him and he could rule some make-believe country easily. He wasn’t wearing a lab coat, but there was a stethoscope slung around his neck and an air about him that just screamed that he was in charge. 

“Hi,” he said, smiling first at Juliet and then Even. Even could have sworn that his gaze lingered on him for just a second too long, but there was also the very real possibility that he was starting to hallucinate because he was now picturing woodland creatures dancing around this guy, so his judgment clearly couldn’t be trusted. “I’m Dr. Valtersen.” He stepped further into the room, still smiling widely, and stopped right in front of Juliet. “And who might you be?” 

Even would realize later when he relived this harrowing moment from the comfort of his own bedroom that the doctor was very obviously talking to Juliet. _She_ was the patient—he was looking right at _her_ —and yet, despite that, it was Even that answered. 

“Even,” he said, staring up at Dr. Valtersen like he was some sort of god or something. Dr. Valtersen turned to him in surprise, green eyes wide, with a faint blush of secondhand embarrassment rising to his cheeks. 

“No, Daddy,” Juliet laughed, startling both of their attention back to her. “He means me.” And of-fucking-course he did because Even’s fear of the doctor would not be complete until it was a full-blown phobia, apparently. God, he was going to develop some sort of weird complex where he got turned on by the thing that scared him the most and end up like those people who accidentally asphyxiated themselves because they took the whole breath play thing a little too far. 

Dr. Valtersen just chuckled and brushed off the incident, leaving Juliet on the table to come introduce himself to Even. “Isak,” he said, holding his hand out for Even to shake. Even gave him a small, embarrassed smile and shook it. 

“Even,” he introduced for the second time before realizing that shit, he had already done that, and shaking his head at his own stupidity. He was never going to be able to step foot in this building again. Isak pursed his lips—probably to keep from laughing. “And this is Juliet,” Even segued, with a grand gesture to his daughter, hoping desperately to get the attention off of him. Isak gave him one last smile and then turned back to Juliet, clearly amused by whatever the fuck that had been. Dear lord. 

“Well, hello, Juliet,” he greeted and the little girl preened under his attention, looking at Isak much the same way she looked at ice cream. It was good to know that he and his daughter had the same taste in men, truly. “How are you doing today?” 

“Good,” she smiled, her fingers tangled in the fabric of her skirt. “Daddy says I get a new toy if I’m good.” Even looked to the ceiling, praying that something might save him from his embarrassment, and determinedly avoided Isak’s smirk as he glanced in his direction. Even was about 80% sure you weren’t supposed to bribe your kids. He’d read that somewhere. Or maybe it was just that you weren’t supposed to bribe your kids with food. He couldn’t remember. Either way, he was sure Prince Isak and his merry band of woodland creatures wouldn’t approve. He probably had 2.5 beautiful blonde children at home who were perfectly behaved and never demanded toys in exchange for good behavior. 

“Yeah?” Isak asked, grabbing an otoscope off of the wall to look in her ears. “Can I get you to turn for me just a little bit? Good. What is he going to get you?” 

He let Juliet talk as he did his examination, only quieting her when he had to listen to her heart and lungs. She smiled over at Even as he did so and there was not even a trace of fear in her eyes. God, this guy was perfect. 

“Well, Your Highness,” Isak said when he was done, wrapping the stethoscope back around his neck and tapping her plastic crown playfully. Juliet giggled. “You look absolutely perfect. Nothing’s hurting? Throat, head, tummy?” Juliet shook her head and Isak turned his attention to Even instead. “Sleeping okay? Bowels normal?” Even nodded. “Eating good?” 

Even paused, thinking. “Uh…she doesn’t like broccoli.” He wasn’t sure if that was normal six-year-old behavior or a symptom of a much larger problem, but the doctor asked, so… 

Isak smiled, turning to nudge Juliet with his elbow like they were in on some joke Even wasn’t a part of. “Yeah, but no one likes broccoli, do they?” 

Juliet scrunched her nose in disgust. “Yuck!” 

Isak laughed and stood, pulling one of Juliet’s curls playfully as he passed. “Everything looks good,” he said, walking over to lean casually against the wall next to Even, and fuck, he was gorgeous. Even watched in amazement as his long, blonde eyelashes brushed his cheek every time he blinked. It was hypnotizing. “Her height, weight—all of that is normal. You’ve got yourself a healthy little girl. Any concerns on your end, or…” He trailed off, waiting for an answer, but the only concern Even had was whether Juliet would see the look on his face and somehow just know that he was falling for her fucking doctor. He probably looked dopey enough for it, staring up at Isak with doe-eyes. 

“No,” he said, shaking his head, but then remembered the stack of papers in his lap. “Oh, just these. My ex-wife said—” 

Isak took the papers from him before Even could even finish his sentence and he was silently congratulating himself on saying “ex-wife” without blushing when Isak looked over at him with a soft smile. “Yup,” he said. “We can do that.” 

He walked across the room and set the papers on the counter before turning back to Juliet. “Are you excited to start school?” Juliet nodded. “Okay, well we’re going to have to give you a real quick shot to keep you healthy, but then you’ll be out of here and your dad can buy you that new toy, alright?” Juliet’s smile was shaky now, but it was still there. Once again, she nodded. “Don’t worry, kiddo,” Isak continued and then leaned in to stage whisper in her ear. “I’m the _best_ at giving shots. You’re barely going to feel it at all, okay?” 

He waited for Juliet to nod before sticking his head out the door. “Hey, Ann?” he called. “Can you grab the Tetravac for me?” Even couldn’t see who responded, but he could hear them quite clearly. 

“You want to do it yourself?” she asked, like it was the most ridiculous thing she had heard all day. 

Isak cleared his throat, glancing briefly over his shoulder at Even before nodding. “Yes, please.” He then came back into the room and began rifling through a cabinet until he found a box stuffed with an assortment of bandages and offered it out to Juliet. “Here, pick one.” 

Juliet’s blue eyes went wide, but she turned to Even before doing as asked, like she didn’t believe she would actually be allowed such a luxury. “Pick one,” Even laughed, nodding towards Isak who he was surprised to find was already looking back at him, his bottom lip between his teeth. When Even caught him staring, he quickly turned away, cheeks red once more. Even watched him in fascination for several more long seconds before he glanced back at his daughter and realized she had dozens of bandages clutched in her tiny fists. 

“Juliet,” he scolded. “Pick _one_.” 

Juliet, however, did not seem to like this plan and she looked up at Isak instead. “Can I have two?” 

“Sure,” Isak chuckled. “I won’t tell if you won’t.” She ended up picking one bandage with a picture of Ariel from _The Little Mermaid_ and another that was decorated with a bunch of shiny silver stars. “Good choices,” Isak praised and moved to stow the bandages again just as Ann showed up with the vaccination. He thanked her and then she left, throwing one curious glance in Even’s direction before disappearing out the door. 

“Okay, Even. You’re up,” Isak said, grabbing his attention. Even looked over curiously, wondering if he had somehow missed something, but Isak just gestured him over with a smile. Even set down the magazine he had been pretending to flip through before Isak showed up and crossed the room to stand next to his daughter. “Now, Juliet, I want you to grab your dad’s hand, okay?” he asked as he used a small disinfectant wipe to clean the skin at the top of her arm. Even reached for her hand and she grabbed ahold of it like a lifeline. She was scared now, but she was hiding it well. “Good. Now close your eyes.” She did as asked. “And squeeze as hard as you can for me. Harder. Harder.” Even was surprised at just how hard she could squeeze when she was really trying, but he didn’t mind the pain—not when it was helping her feel better. 

Although Isak’s voice was still soft and kind, Even watched him go into doctor-mode as soon as Juliet’s eyes were closed, uncapping the syringe and jabbing it into her arm without hesitation. Even winced at the sight and Juliet squeezed his hand impossibly harder, but before Even could think too much of it, the needle was already gone and it was over. 

“Okay,” Isak said as soon as the needle was out of sight. “All done. You can open your eyes.” Juliet blinked her eyes open and immediately looked to her arm where the Ariel bandage was already covering the puncture. Isak held up the space-themed one and smiled brightly. “Where do you want this one?” 

Juliet pointed to the exact same place on her other arm and Isak rolled it on. “You want to know a secret?” he asked when he was done. Juliet nodded eagerly. “You, Juliet, have been my favorite patient of the day. And so brave too! I think even your dad was more scared of that shot than you were.” He looked up at Even with a wry smile and Even felt his insides melt. 

“Now, come on,” Isak said, picking Juliet off of the exam table and setting her down on the floor. Let’s get you out of this boring old doctor’s office and get you a new toy.” He ushered them out of the room and pointed Even in the direction of the checkout window. “It was nice meeting you, Juliet,” Isak said with a wave before pausing and turning to Even, his gaze heavy with intent. “And you, Even.” 

Even knew what he would do if he had met Isak out at a bar—or at least what he would _want_ to do if he could drink enough to muster the courage. He would sidle close to him, rest his hand on his elbow, and whisper just enough promises to get him outside where they could talk alone. But this wasn’t a bar and Even was pretty sure hitting on your child’s doctor was frowned upon in most social circles, so he just nodded, took Juliet by the hand, and led her to the front to pay. 

She was talking about the fish again, asking if they could sit in the waiting room for a bit and watch them swim around, but Even wasn’t paying attention. He waited almost a whole minute before the pull became too much to resist and then he turned to look at Isak one last time only to find that he was already staring back. Their eyes stayed locked for long enough that there was no mistaking it for an accident and when Isak finally looked away, there was a pleased smile on his face that awoke something inside of Even that had been dormant for a very long time. 

* 

When Sonja came to pick Juliet up that night and asked about the new doctor, Even tried to think of words to describe him that weren’t “hot like burning” and “man of my dreams.” What he finally settled on was a stuttered summation of their visit wherein he only referred to Isak as “competent” and “professional,” but Sonja just rolled her eyes and laughed. 

“That cute, huh?” she smiled knowingly and Even didn’t even bother to deny it because he knew his face was giving him away. 

He sighed helplessly, already resigned to his fate. “You have no fucking idea, Sonja. No fucking idea.” 


	2. Chapter 2

2\. 

Juliet had been in school for less than a month when the symptoms started. They were innocuous enough—sniffling, sneezing, coughing, runny nose—but they were _there_ and that was what mattered. Even would never, under any circumstances, wish ill health on his child, but he would be lying if he said he hadn’t been searching for excuses to go back to the doctor’s office. Here, at last, was his chance. 

Juliet, however, was much less amenable to the idea. “Daddy, I’m fine,” she groaned, wiping her runny nose on the arm of her purple sweater as the two of them sat at the kitchen table drawing pictures. “I don’t want to go to the doctor.” 

“You like Dr. Valtersen, though,” Even nudged, trying not to think about how pathetic it was that he was using his six-year-old daughter to meet men. “He’ll just give you something to make you feel better.” 

“But I feel fine!” Juliet argued, blinking over at Even owlishly like maybe he hadn’t understood her the first time. And damn her for using sound logic against him. The fantasy world he was living in had no room for common sense. 

“You’ll get to miss school,” he wheedled, securing his place on the list of worst parents ever. Juliet looked up from her drawing, interest peaked. “And we can stay and watch the fish tanks for as long you want afterwards.” 

Juliet shuffled a bit in her seat and looked to the ceiling like she was mulling the offer over. “And ice cream?” she asked after a minute. “I want ice cream too.” 

Even tried to hold back an amused grin, but he cracked quickly at the determined look on his daughter’s face. “You drive a hard bargain, kid,” he said, choking back laughter as he held out his hand for her to shake. “But you’ve got yourself a deal.” Juliet took his large hand in her small one and giggled as she gave it a firm shake. 

Even spent the rest of the night listening to Juliet talk about what flavor of ice cream she was going to get and thinking about what he would say to Isak when he finally saw him again. 

* 

Even knew that this fixation he had with a guy he had only met once before was borderline obsessive—knew that if he could look at what he was doing with a clear head, he would be so embarrassed he would never step foot in that doctor’s office again—but he couldn’t help it. It had been weeks and yet he still couldn’t get Isak’s beautiful green eyes and Cupid’s bow lips out of his head. He couldn’t help but imagine what those lips might feel like pressed against his, kissing down his body, wrapped around his cock. 

Logically, Even knew that the chances of Isak even remembering him were slim. He had probably seen hundreds of patients since the day he met Even, but he held onto that lingering gaze they had shared at their last visit and an unquenchable hope built in his gut that he couldn’t douse no matter how hard he tried. He just had to see him again—simple as that—and then the constant nagging feeling inside of him, pulling him towards Isak, would be satisfied. At least for a while. 

As he sat in the waiting room a few days later, watching Juliet make faces at the fish in the aquarium, his stomach felt like it had been tied into knots. It wasn’t a pleasant feeling—he felt sick more than anything—but there was an excitement to it that he hadn’t felt since he met Sonja when he was fifteen. He felt ridiculous even saying it in his head, but he had a _crush_. It made him giddy, made the hair on his arms stand on end, made him feel truly _alive_ for the first time in fifteen years. He had forgotten what this felt like and he certainly hadn’t ever expected to feel it again. Even if nothing else came of it, he had Isak to thank for that. 

“Juliet,” a voice called across the waiting room and Even’s heart started beating harder against his rib cage. 

“Come on, Jules,” he said, standing and gathering their things. Juliet pouted, clearly wanting to stay and watch the fish for a little while longer. “After,” he promised, grabbing her arm so that she could hop down from the chair she was standing on. “Come on.” 

She wiggled out of his grasp as soon as her feet were on the ground and ran over to the nurse in bright pink scrubs waiting for them at the door. The nurse smiled at both of them kindly and then ushered them into the back. 

“Okay, Juliet,” she said, stopping at a scale just inside the door. “Can you take your shoes off for me, please? We need to see how much you’ve grown since the last time you were here.” As she was doing that, Even chanced a glance around the office, hoping for just a taste to satiate this longing inside of him. He was not disappointed. 

Isak was leaning against the counter at the nurse’s station in the center of the room, laughing at something someone had just said—and god, Even’s memories hadn’t done him justice. He drank in his blonde curls and lean body like a man dying of thirst and didn’t even realize he was staring until Isak turned in his direction and did a double take at the sight of him. His laughter immediately faded and he stood up straighter against the counter, a soft smile blossoming onto his face. Slowly, he raised his hand in a small wave and everything inside of Even came alive as he waved back. _He remembers me_. 

“Okay,” the nurse said, demanding his attention once more. “If you’ll follow me.” She led them into an empty exam room, took Juliet's vital signs, and then asked her why she was there. 

“I don’t know,” Juliet shrugged, knitting her forehead in confusion as she turned to Even, who then dived into a well-rehearsed explanation of how he was probably overreacting, but Juliet had some friends who had been sick recently and it was better to be safe than sorry, right? The nurse gave him a half smile that looked a lot like pity and then excused herself, informing them that the doctor would be in soon. 

Even’s foot was back to tapping a nervous pattern on the floor and he was just starting to think he might actually explode from the stress of it all when Juliet interrupted his thoughts. “What flavor ice cream are you going to get?” she asked, like she somehow inherently understood that Even needed something to distract him. His foot stopped moving and he smiled, instantly feeling more at ease. 

“You know,” he sighed. “I’m not sure. Do you want to pick for me?” Juliet’s mouth fell open in surprise at the sheer amount of power he was thrusting upon her and he was still laughing at the look on her face when the door was pushed open. 

“Knock, knock,” a familiar voice said and then Isak stepped into the room, shutting the door behind him. His eyes found Even first, a faint blush already coloring his cheeks. “Even,” he greeted with a small smile and then he turned to his patient. “And Miss Juliet. I almost didn’t recognize you without your crown.” Juliet giggled, ducking her head into her shoulder to hide her smile, and Isak chuckled at her bashfulness, causing Even’s heart to expand in his chest until he felt like it might choke him. God, he should really come with a warning label. Even didn’t even want to think about how many other parents had sat in this exact same chair, watching Isak interact with their children, and thought _I want to take him home with me_. Because Even did. He really, really did. “So what’s going on, Miss Juliet? Are you feeling sick?” 

Juliet, traitor that she was, shook her head immediately. “No. Daddy just said he wanted to come see you.” 

Even let out a choked off noise of protest, cheeks flaming, and Isak turned to him with a smug smile. “That is _not_ what I said,” Even corrected immediately, glaring at the almost-too-innocent smile on Juliet’s face. If she were just a few years older, he would have sworn she did it on purpose. “She’s been having cold-like symptoms for a few weeks now,” Even barreled on, determined to take back some modicum of control over the situation. “I thought it would go away, but it hasn’t.” 

Isak nodded along as he spoke. “Well, let’s take a look, then.” He walked closer to Juliet so that he could feel under her neck, searching for any signs of swelling. “Can you open your mouth for me? Say ‘ah.’” Juliet was more than happy to scream “ah” into the small room and Isak laughed. “Good.” 

He did a full check-up on her as Even sat nervously off to the side. “Sneezing, runny nose?” he asked and it took Even a second to realize he was looking at him, an eyebrow cocked in question. 

“Yeah,” Even agreed. “She hasn’t had any fever as far as I know, but there’s been a lot of coughing. It seems to just come and go.” 

Isak nodded and grabbed his stethoscope from around his neck to listen to Juliet’s breathing. “Does it get worse when you’re playing outside?” he asked her once he was done. 

She scrunched her nose in distaste and nodded. “It makes my eyes all itchy.” 

Isak wrapped the stethoscope back around his neck and sat down on his stool to roll over to Even until their legs were tangled together in front of them. Even tried not to stare. “So I’ve got good news and bad news,” he said, but his smile allayed any fears Even might have. “The good news is that she’s not sick. The bad news is that she’s got allergies.” He turned back to Juliet with a smile. “But don’t worry,” he told her. “I do too.” Juliet preened under the attention and when Isak turned back to Even, he looked impossibly fond. “Buy her some Zyrtec,” he said. “It’ll probably get worse in the spring, so if the over-the-counter stuff isn’t working, come back and I can get you something stronger, but I don’t think she’s going to need it.” 

Even breathed a sigh of relief and Isak reached out to squeeze his arm lightly. The touch sent fire coursing through his veins, but before he even had a chance to enjoy it, Isak was moving away. “Is that it?” he asked jokingly, turning back to Juliet. “Well, that was easy. Come here.” She let him lift her off of the table and set her down on the floor. “What’s your dad getting you this time, Juliet? Another toy?” 

Juliet shook her head, her smile widening at the mention of her bribe. “Ice cream!” 

“Ice cream!” Isak cried, ruffling her hair playfully. “I’m jealous. I wish I could go get ice cream.” 

Juliet’s face lit up at Isak’s words and Even knew what she was going to say before she’d even opened her mouth. “Daddy, can Dr. Isak go with us?” 

Even let out a nervous chuckle and ran his fingers through his hair just to give himself something to do. “Dr. Isak has to work, sweetie,” he said, glancing over at him. Juliet pouted at his words and Isak did too. “Maybe next time though,” he added on a whim and when Isak looked back at him, his green eyes were so hopeful that it shook Even to his core. 

“Yeah,” he agreed, voice so soft that Even would be surprised if Juliet could hear him at all. “Maybe next time.” The two of them stared at each other for several more long seconds before Isak shook himself from his stupor. “Hey, Juliet,” he said, clapping his hands together and then opening the door to the exam room. “Do you see that window up there?” Juliet stuck her head out of the door at his behest and easily spotted the checkout window. “Why don’t you go pick out a sticker, okay? Tell the nice lady at the desk that I sent you and you _might_ even get two.” Juliet’s whole face lit up as she looked to Even for permission. Once he nodded, she took off running down the hallway before skidding to a halt in front of the window. 

When Even turned back to Isak, he was surprised to find that the two of them were standing sandwiched in the doorway with barely any space between them at all, Isak on one side of the frame and Even on the other. Isak was still turned, smiling at Juliet, so Even took the opportunity to look at him the way he’d been wanting to, but wouldn’t allow himself while his daughter was in the room. He stared at the faint golden stubble on his cheeks and wanted to feel it burn against his skin. He wanted to kiss his lips, to feel the hard muscles beneath his clothes. He wanted to touch, to take, to surrender to what his body was begging him for. His eyes traveled up from Isak’s lips to find that he was already staring back at him, his pupils blown. 

“So,” Isak drawled, shifting on his feet as his own gaze traced the lines of Even’s face, like he was memorizing them. “I’m going to need you to never call me _Dr. Isak_ again.” 

Even snorted, shaking his head at the memory. “What?” he asked. “That not doing it for you, _Dr. Valtersen_?” He put as much innuendo as he could onto Isak’s name, knowing from past experience that his subtle flirting never worked. Best to go heavy-handed with this one. 

Isak’s blush darkened and he ducked his head in embarrassment, much as Juliet had earlier. “That one, I like,” he admitted with a smirk. “Maybe a bit too much.” 

Even was trying to think of something clever to say in reply when he heard Juliet let out a pleased screech from the checkout window. He looked to make sure she wasn’t wrecking havoc on anything and Isak followed his gaze. 

“She’s so freakin’ adorable,” Isak grinned, watching over his shoulder as she sat down on the floor with the box of stickers in her lap so that she could dig through it easier. 

“Yeah?” Even asked, his heart picking up speed once more. 

Isak nodded and turned back to look at him, startling a bit at the intensity with which Even was staring at him. Even knew it was too much, but he couldn’t rein it in. Thankfully, Isak didn’t run. Instead, his gaze adopted the same heavy weight as Even’s and he dragged it down his body, like he was savoring every last inch of him. “Good genes, I guess.” 

Even’s breath hitched in his throat, but before he could respond, Isak sighed and decided to lighten the mood. “So, don’t take this the wrong way,” he joked, “but I’m kind of glad your daughter has allergies.” 

Even chuckled. “Yeah, I’m kind of glad I wasn’t smart enough to just Google that.” 

Isak smirked and pushed himself off of the doorframe so that he could close the distance between them until they were touching all along their fronts. Isak tilted his head up and for one brief second, Even thought he was actually going to kiss him, but he ended up ghosting around his lips to whisper into his ear instead. “I can’t stop thinking about you.” 

His breath against Even’s neck sent a shiver down his spine and when he pulled away, looking quite proud of himself, Even just stared down at him in shock. Was this really happening or had he just watched so much porn that he could no longer distinguish fantasy from reality? Nevertheless, he couldn’t let an admission like that go unanswered—even if he _was_ just imagining it. “I can’t stop thinking about you either,” he breathed. “God, Isak, I—” 

“Dr. Valtersen,” a panicked voice interrupted them. Even turned to find the same nurse in the pink scrubs that he had met earlier, only this time she looked significantly more harried. “We need you. _Now_.” Isak stepped out into the hall, instantly back in doctor-mode, and began rushing towards the room the nurse was sticking her head out of. “I’m so sorry,” he called over his shoulder. “But it was nice seeing you again, Even” 

“Yeah,” Even agreed, shaking his head to try to sort through what had just happened. Isak had already disappeared behind a closed door before he was able to choke out, “It was nice seeing you again, too.” 

When he finally gathered his wits about him and joined Juliet at the checkout counter, he was unsurprised to find that she had five huge stickers stuck to the front of her shirt and another handful clutched tightly in her fist. Even tried to give her a disappointed glare, but his face wouldn’t hold the expression for longer than a few seconds—partially because she just looked so damned happy, but mostly because he couldn't stop thinking about how it felt to have Isak pressed against him, voicing the one thing Even had been waiting to hear for almost a month. And as they sat eating their ice cream a little while later, Even recognized the look of sheer joy on his daughter’s face because he felt it on his as well. 


	3. Chapter 3

3\. 

It had been less than a week and already Even was desperate to see Isak again, but he just couldn't come up with a good enough excuse to drag his daughter back to the doctor's office. That didn't stop him from fantasizing though. If Juliet would only develop some sort of skin rash—nothing painful, just something that would disappear with a bit of ointment— _that_ was what he needed. Sadly, however, that didn't happen because luckily he had a very healthy daughter on his hands (which he should be thankful for, damn it), and he couldn't justify pulling her out of school only to waste both her time and Isak's. The best idea he had come up with was dropping by the office to pick up a copy of her shot records, but even that wouldn't get him into the back to see Isak. He was utterly baffled and every minute he spent trying to brainstorm a better idea just frustrated him more. 

Luckily, the universe had something else in mind.

It was Saturday and Juliet had dragged Even to the movies. While Even loved every second of quality time he got to spend with her, there was a limit to how many cartoon musicals he could watch before he started screaming. He had hoped that the latest one would have the decency to premiere during a week when Juliet was with Sonja, but that, of course, is not what happened. So now Sonja was spending the weekend with her girlfriends at some spa and Even was forced to brave a raucous crowd of screaming children to give his daughter exactly what she wanted. 

“I want popcorn,” she said, bouncing on the balls of her feet as they approached the front of the line at the concession stand. “And gummy worms. And M&M’s. And—” 

“Okay, okay, okay,” Even chuckled. “We’re getting the popcorn. Now pick _one_ candy. _One_.” 

“Mmm,” she mused, eyes wide like it was the hardest decision she would ever have to make. “Gummy worms?” 

“Is that a question or is that what you want?” 

Juliet swallowed hard, but then nodded. “Gummy worms.” 

Even relayed their order to the employee behind the counter and was just pulling out the money to pay when suddenly Juliet let out an excited squeal and took off running across the theater. 

“Juliet!” Even cried in shock, pausing what he was doing to watch as she crashed into a dark-haired girl her own age on the other side of the room. “Damn it, Juliet,” he muttered, throwing the rest of his money down on the counter hastily. “Keep the change.” He shoved the box of gummy worms into his pocket and then gathered the popcorn and drink before chasing after his daughter. 

“Juliet,” he scolded when he was finally close enough. “You can’t just run off like that.” She was still standing there with her arms wrapped tightly around the other girl, but she turned her big, blue puppy dog eyes to Even and he felt his anger melt away instantly. He sighed, already knowing that she had won this round, and looked up to find a man about his own age with dark, curly hair smirking over at him. 

“Jonas,” he introduced, throwing out a hand for Even to shake before realizing that Even’s arms were full of food and pulling it away with a laugh. “You must be Juliet’s dad. Her and Isabel are in the same class at school.” 

“Oh,right,” Even smiled, looking down at the girl Juliet had once called her “very best friend in the whole wide world.” Her hair was dark and curly like her father’s, but her eyes were a light blue. “She spent the night at your house last weekend, didn’t she? She’s been talking about your cat ever since I picked her up from school on Monday.” 

On cue, Juliet piped up, “Daddy, I want a kitty cat like Isabel.” 

From over her head, Jonas shook his head and mouthed, “No you do not.” 

Even grinned and introduced himself. “So you drew the short straw too, huh?” he said, gesturing over at the auditorium where their movie would be playing. 

Jonas laughed. “My wife was supposed to bring her,” he smiled fondly, “but she was ridiculously hungover this morning, so I decided to take one for the team.” 

Even winced. “Yeah, I don’t think this is something I’d be able to stomach with a hangover. Did you want to go get seats or…?” 

“Actually, we’re waiting on my—” 

“Uncle Issy!” 

Even had to step out of the way for Isabel to run past him and when he turned, he spotted Isak immediately. He was dressed more casually than Even had ever seen him in jeans and a sweatshirt and his curls hung loose around his face. He looked so _soft_ standing there with a six-year-old wrapped around his legs and Even just wanted to reach out and touch him. 

“I wasn’t expecting to see you,” Even heard him say to Isabel as he picked her up. 

She giggled, burying her head in his shoulder. “Did Daddy lie to you again?” 

“It’s his own fault,” Jonas interrupted, drawing Isak’s attention to him—and Even—for the first time. Isak froze, blinking over at Even like he thought he might be seeing things. “He should stop believing me when I tell him we’re going to see horror movies at three in the afternoon.” 

Isak tore his gaze away from Even and threw his free hand into the air in exasperation. “Jonas, when have I ever said no to spending time with my godchild?” he asked, ruffling Isabel’s hair before setting her back on the ground. “Stop lying to me, please.” 

“So, you wouldn’t have made up some dumb excuse about having to work if I’d asked you straight up to come to this movie?” Jonas asked doubtfully as Isak joined them. 

“No, I would have,” he admitted. “That’s why you get _Isabel_ to ask me. I can’t say no to her.” 

Jonas grinned. “Good to know.” 

Isak turned and looked up at Even from beneath his eyelashes and Even knew he should say something, but he found that he was tongue-tied. At least when he was at the doctor’s office, he was _expecting_ it. This was a sneak attack and it had caught him completely off-guard. 

“Hi, Even,” Isak said shyly, tangling his fingers nervously into the hem of his sweatshirt. 

Even felt his face break out in an impossibly wide grin that turned Isak’s smile into a smirk. “Hi.” 

“Um,” Jonas chuckled, watching them. “Do you two know each other?” 

Juliet chose that moment to sidle back into Even’s side, knocking several pieces of popcorn to the floor as she rammed into him. “That’s Dr. Isak,” she supplied helpfully, like Jonas might not know. 

Isak laughed. “Hey, Miss Juliet. You feeling any better?” Juliet nodded, blushing slightly under Isak’s attention, and then tilted her head up to talk to Even. 

“Can we go sit down now?” 

“Uh, yeah,” he agreed, looking over at Jonas to make sure that they weren’t waiting for anyone else, but he just nodded and the five of them started walking towards the auditorium together, Even and Juliet in the lead. Even could hear Isak and Jonas whispering furtively behind him and strained his ears to try to pick up their conversation. 

“Is that the DILF you’ve been crushing on?” Jonas chuckled and Even heard a sharp _whack_ like Isak had hit him. 

“Oh my god, Jonas, shut up,” he hissed. 

“What?! You’re the one who called him that!” 

By the time they found seats, Even’s cheeks hurt from smiling so hard. The girls wanted to sit together, so Even and Jonas sat on either side of them, leaving it up to Isak who he wanted to sit next to. Even tried not to get his hopes up, but still his heart leapt when Isak shuffled past the rest of their group and took the empty seat on Even’s right. 

“Don’t,” Isak warned when he sat down, refusing to meet Even’s gaze. 

“I wasn’t going to say anything,” Even chuckled and then held his bucket of popcorn towards Isak like an offering. “Popcorn?” Isak finally caved and turned to look at him, his cheeks flushed a dark red. He rolled his eyes at Even’s smug smile, but reached out and grabbed a handful of popcorn nevertheless. 

“Dr. Isak,” Juliet said, leaning around Even to talk to him. “Guess what?” 

Isak swallowed the popcorn that was in his mouth before replying. “What?” he asked, grinning in amusement. 

“Did you know my daddy makes movies too?” she asked excitedly. “Only he says I’m not old enough to watch them yet.” 

The baffled look on Isak’s face probably would have been hilarious if it was at anyone’s expense but his own, but as it was, Even knew what Isak was thinking and it was his turn to blush. 

“I’m a director—not an actor,” he corrected quickly and Isak’s eyebrows unfurrowed just a bit. “And I’m not directing _that_.” 

“Well, damn,” Isak chuckled just softly enough that Juliet couldn’t hear him. “She got my hopes up.” He asked what films Even had directed and Even fed him the titles of some of his lesser known works because name-dropping the summer blockbuster in the next theater over seemed a bit uncouth for a first date—if this could even be considered a date at all. They had just started to find a rhythm in their conversation when the lights dimmed and the movie began playing. 

“You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me,” Isak muttered, shaking his head in disappointment. Even couldn’t contain his laughter. “I’m fucking serious,” he hissed, pulling Even closer so that he could whisper in his ear. “Every time I try to talk to you, something drags me away.” 

He had his arm wrapped around Even’s bicep, holding him close, but when Even looked down at where they were touching, he quickly tried to remove it. Even, however, couldn’t stand the thought of sitting in a dark theater _not_ touching him, so he reeled him back in, guiding Isak’s hand down his arm until their fingers found each other in the dark. 

Isak looked up at him, his mouth opened in a small “o” of surprise, but didn’t back away as Even laced their fingers together, their skin so hot where they were touching that he worried it might combust between them. They stared at each other intensely for several long seconds before Isak’s whole body seemed to relax. He rubbed the soft skin of his thumb along the back of Even’s hand before raising the armrest between them so that he could cuddle closer into Even’s side. Even could have sworn his heart stopped beating in his chest when he felt Isak’s body heat bleeding into him, but it was soon racing once more. 

He wanted things in that moment that he hadn’t wanted in a very long time. He wanted to run his fingers through Isak’s curls and kiss him on the forehead. He wanted to take him home and put him to sleep in his bed. He wanted to drag him out of this theater and into a bathroom stall and take him right there. And although he wanted all of those things more than he wanted air, he settled for letting Isak curl into his side as his daughter sat next to them, obliviously smacking away at her gummy worms, and playing with his fingers like they were the most interesting things in the universe. 

He traced patterns on Isak’s palm, his touch feather-light at first, but then, when his skin was tingling all over, he pressed down a bit harder, massaging into the muscles so that Isak would feel the imprint of Even’s hand against his long after he was gone. After a little while, Even gave up watching the movie altogether and just basked in the pleased smile on Isak’s face—in the way he would turn his hand in Even’s, silently asking him for more—and when it became too much to handle and Even felt like his heart was going to jump out of his chest, Isak took control, doing to Even what Even had done to him. 

Even might have been imagining it, but as the minutes ticked on, he could have sworn Isak’s breath became more shallow. He was watching the movie with almost too much concentration, like he wasn’t entirely unaffected by what they were doing, and Even was glad to see it because he felt like he was losing his mind, drowning in the feel of Isak sitting next to him. There was a wild animal inside of him that had broken free and he didn’t think he would ever be able to chain it up again. 

Even was well on his way to getting hard when the lights came back on, but it was the most innocent boner he’d ever had. He wanted to _love_ Isak, not just fuck him, and after sitting with him in the dark for hours, he was so gone he didn’t know if he’d ever be able to find his way back out again. He didn’t know if he wanted to. If the glazed look on Isak’s face was any indication, he thought he might feel much the same. 

They shuffled out of the theater, the two girls talking to each other excitedly, but once they made it outside to the curb, Jonas and Isabel said their goodbyes. Even, however, wasn’t quite ready to say goodbye to Isak. The thought of leaving him now, when his hair was adorably mussed from the theater seat, was more than Even could handle, so he proposed something different. 

“We were planning to grab an early dinner if you want to join us,” Even offered and Isak smiled widely. 

“Yeah? I would love that, actually. If Juliet’s not a picky eater, there’s this really good Moroccan place down the street—” He was interrupted by Juliet tugging on Even’s jacket to get his attention. She had been rather quiet since the movie ended, which was unusual for her, and when Even looked down, he quickly realized why. Her face was scrunched up in pain and she stood there, clutching her stomach, as sweat started to bead on her forehead. 

“Daddy,” she mumbled, moving closer into his side. “I don’t feel good. My tummy hurts.” And of course her stomach hurt—Even had been dumb enough to let her eat a whole bag of gummy worms because he was too distracted by Isak to remind her to ration them. Her eyes had always been bigger than her stomach. 

“Okay, sweetie,” he sighed, running his fingers through her hair as he tried to decide whether dinner was a risk he was willing to take with a nauseated child. “Why don’t we—” 

Before he had even finished speaking, Juliet hunched forward and vomited into the patch of grass next to them. _This is my punishment_ , Even thought, _for pretending she was sick before._ It was ironic that as soon as he started making progress with Isak, the universe decided to fuck with him. 

He knelt down next to Juliet and held her hair out of her face, stroking her back to let her know that he was there. Thankfully, after only a couple of heaves, it was over and she fell back into Even’s arms, buried her head in his shoulder, and cried. 

“Shh, shh, it’s okay,” he soothed. “Do you feel a little better now?” She nodded against him, but the tears didn’t slow, so he just held her tighter. He was so wrapped up in her that he completely forgot Isak was standing there until he kneeled down across from him, forehead creased in worry, and offered Even a napkin from his pocket. 

“Thanks,” Even said gratefully and pushed Juliet off of his shoulder so he could clean her up the best that he could. 

"Is she going to be okay?" Isak asked, reaching out to smooth her hair down. Even smirked, finding it funny that Isak was deferring to him on a medical question, but he _did_ know his daughter better than anyone. 

"She's fine," he assured him. "She gets like this when she eats too much sugar. I should have been paying more attention." Isak then offered Juliet his water bottle and she actually smiled before taking a sip. Even breathed a sigh of relief. The worst of it was over, but adding more food to the mix right now probably wouldn't be a good idea. 

"I don't think we're going to make it to dinner after all," Even sighed as they finally stood. "Rain check?" 

Isak chuckled. "Yeah," he agreed. "Where are you parked? I'll help you get her to the car." 

Even picked Juliet up, trying not to think about how she was almost too big for him to do so, and let her bury her cold nose in his neck as they walked across the parking lot. 

"I'm really sorry about this," Even muttered as Juliet's breathing began to even out against him. 

"Even, it's fine," Isak assured him. "Kids get sick. That's literally how I make my living." 

Even wasn't sure why it bothered him so much, but he thought it was the realization that while Isak certainly seemed interested in Even, he hadn't signed up for a kid as well. He shouldn't have to spend his weekends cleaning up after sniveling children when that's what he did all week at work. Juliet was easy to love—Even knew that—but if Isak was a part of his life for any significant amount of time, he wouldn't just be able to love her through the good stuff. 

He was frowning when they reached his SUV and the frown only deepened when he realized that his keys were still in his pocket and his arms were very full. "Fuck," he muttered and took some pleasure in the way Isak's eyes widened at the word, but he could tell that Juliet was too out of it to be listening. "My keys," he explained. "They're—" 

"Oh," Isak said, walking closer. "Which pocket? I can—" 

Even sighed, but canted his right hip towards him. Isak blushed, seeming to realize for the first time how close that was going to put them, but he didn't shy away from the task. He had to step right into Even's space to reach into his pocket and the feel of his warm breath against his neck and the touch of his hand so close to Even's dick had him stiffening in his pants once more. Isak's blush darkened, but he didn't say anything as he finally fished the keys out. 

"Got you!" he crowed, unlocking the car. He then stood back as Even placed Juliet in her seat. "Oh, and you may need this," he added just as Even was about to close the door. He turned just in time to see Isak pouring the last bit of their popcorn onto the ground before passing Even the bucket. "Just in case." 

"Thanks," Even smiled, setting it next to Juliet and praying that she didn't wake up and need to use it. He reached out and tucked one loose curl behind her ear before shutting the door and turning back to Isak who was smiling at him sadly. 

"I'm going to hold you to that dinner date," he said, shuffling his foot awkwardly against the pavement. 

Even huffed out a laugh. "I'll get you your dinner. Maybe one night when I don't have Juliet." 

"Bring her," Isak shrugged. Even must have looked noticeably surprised because Isak smirked. "Just so there's no confusion here," he said, taking a step closer and grabbing Even's hand in his. "I like you, Even. I like you _and_ your daughter. Never apologize for being a good dad because it's kind of a huge fucking turn on." 

Even couldn't help but laugh. "I feel like that's not a kink a pediatrician should have." 

Isak snorted. "Probably not." His eyes were bright when he glanced up at Even and he just looked so goddamned adorable that Even couldn't help but reach out, cup Isak's cheek in his hand, and pull him in for one soft kiss that slotted something into place inside of him that had been missing for years. 

When he finally pulled back, Isak blinked up at him, like he was still reeling from the contact. "I'll see you around?" he asked and Isak just nodded, letting him climb into his car and drive off without a word. 

Even was already halfway home, smiling like an idiot, when he realized that he _still_ hadn't gotten Isak's phone number. 


	4. Chapter 4

4\. 

Even made it until Thursday before the need to see Isak gripped him so tight that it felt like it was squeezing the breath right out of him. He didn’t have his address, he didn’t have his phone number, but he _did_ know where he worked, so, swallowing his pride, he stepped into the doctor’s office just before lunch. 

“Hi,” he said, drumming his fingers on the counter at the check-in window, trying to look more confident than he felt. The receptionist—a young, blonde girl—smiled up at him. “I need to speak with Dr. Valtersen.” 

She nodded and glanced over at her computer to check something. “Do you have an appointment?” 

“Um, no,” he admitted. “This isn’t a—I mean, I’m not here for—It’s a personal matter. He’ll want to talk to me. Can you just tell him Even is here?” The girl scrunched her eyebrows in confusion and Even just knew she was about to tell him no, so he kept talking, making up half-lies that he thought she might be sympathetic to. “See, we’re kind of…dating, I guess, and I wanted to surprise him. I swear he’ll want to see me. Can you please just tell him I’m here? It doesn’t have to be right now, if you’re busy. I can wait. I just—” 

The girl’s face softened and she let out a soft coo of delight. “Aw! Yeah, of course I’ll tell him. Just hold on a sec.” She disappeared into the back of the office without another word, leaving Even standing at the counter, shuffling his feet nervously. 

God, this had been such a dumb idea. What if Isak didn’t want to see him? What if he didn’t want everyone in his office to know that he was dating someone—if they were even dating in the first place? What if he wasn’t supposed to date his patient’s parents and Even coming here got Isak into trouble? What if he lost his medical license? Even’s heart was racing by the time the receptionist came back, but to his relief, she was smiling. 

“Oh my god, he was _so_ happy,” she squealed when she got back to Even. “I’ve never seen him smile that wide _ever_. He said he’ll be out in just a minute if you want to wait.” 

Even’s worries evaporated just as quickly as they had come and when he took a seat in the waiting room, he felt like he was floating on air. He didn’t bother picking up a magazine to read, just kept his eyes glued to the door leading into the back half of the office. Isak didn’t keep him waiting long. After only a couple of minutes, he peeked around the door and began searching the room for Even. Once he found him, his smile grew impossibly wide and he jerked his head, signaling for Even to follow him. Even did so without question. 

As soon as the door shut behind them, Isak grabbed Even’s hand and dragged him into an empty exam room, immediately wrapping his arms around his neck and kissing him hard. Even was so surprised that it took him a second to respond, but when he did, he did so eagerly. He grabbed Isak’s hips, pulling him closer, and deepened the kiss, licking into Isak’s mouth to taste him—all of him—for the first time. He had never been alone with him before and if this was a sign of things to come, he wasn’t sure he was going to live through it. 

“Thank fucking god you’re here,” Isak said, pulling back just far enough to speak before placing another couple of pecks on his lips. “I tried to find you on Facebook, but I couldn’t, and there was only one phone number listed in our system, but I wasn’t sure if it was yours or your ex-wife’s.” 

“I had to come back,” Even shrugged, smiling down at him fondly as he brushed his thumb along Isak’s cheekbone. “I owe you a meal.” 

Isak grinned. “You want to take me out to lunch?” Even nodded, nosing along Isak’s jaw as he did so. “My lunch break isn’t for thirty minutes,” he admitted. “Will you wait?” 

Even was, of course, willing to wait, but Isak wouldn’t let him leave the room without one more long kiss that left Even’s cheeks flushed and his lungs burning as he walked back into the waiting room, grinning from ear to ear as he thought about Isak seeing the rest of his patients with swollen lips. 

* 

They ended up getting lunch from a small restaurant within walking distance of Isak’s office and settled at a wooden table outside to eat. 

“You have no idea how much I was struggling when I saw you that first day,” Isak laughed around a bite of food. “I walked into the room, expecting some middle-aged woman and her bratty kid, and instead it’s you, looking like a fucking Greek god or something, and everything I know about medicine just left me. All I could think was ‘holy fuck, he’s hot’ and then I _still_ had to pull myself together to do my job.” 

“I couldn’t tell at all,” Even offered, but Isak rolled his eyes doubtfully. “No, I’m serious!” Even laughed. “You were so chill. I’m the one who introduced myself to you twice and then made sure to slip my _ex_ -wife into the conversation. Who even does that? I’ve got literally no game. I have no idea why you agreed to this date.” 

“I just told you,” Isak grinned. “You’re fucking hot.” Even wadded up a napkin to throw at him, but Isak dodged it easily. “No, but seriously though? I was so glad you mentioned your ex-wife because I was literally _dying_. I was like not only is this guy straight, but he’s also _married_ , and I’ve made enough bad decisions in my life—I can’t be falling for a straight, married guy right now!” He paused to laugh at his own stupidity before continuing. “I was, though,” he admitted, looking up at Even from beneath his eyelashes. “Falling for you.” 

Even smiled, feeling happier than he had in a very long time. “Even when you thought I was straight and married?” 

Isak nodded. “Even then.” They ate in silence for almost a minute as Isak watched Even pensively, head cocked in silent question like there was something he wanted to ask, but wasn’t sure he was allowed to. 

“What?” Even laughed. 

Isak shrugged. “I don’t know. I just—Are we dating? Because I want to be dating.” 

Even turned to him with a look of exasperation. “Isak, I just showed up at your place of employment and practically begged your receptionist to tell you I was there. I don’t just do that for anyone.” Isak smiled brightly, but Even kept going. “I’m not good at this, okay? I haven’t dated in a long time—like a _really_ long time—but I haven’t felt quite like this _ever,_ so if you’re willing to give me a chance…” 

“Oh my god,” Isak laughed. “I’ll give you as many chances as you want.” He reached across the table and took Even’s hand in his, rubbing his thumb along the back of it. “Can I ask you a question, though?” Even nodded, squeezing Isak’s hand to let him know it was okay. “Can Juliet know?” 

Even was taken aback by his bluntness, mainly because he hadn’t even considered the question before Isak asked. He’d fucked a few people after him and Sonja divorced, but he’d never seriously dated anyone—never wanted to. Sonja had dated in the past, but he had told her to just do whatever she felt was right as far as telling Juliet about her relationships. He trusted her judgment when it came to Juliet—just as she trusted his. It occurred to him then that he was going to have to tell her he was dating their daughter’s pediatrician. God, he was never going to live that one down. 

“I mean,” Isak continued, when Even had been silent for probably too long. “I know some people prefer to wait and see if it’s serious before telling their kids, but I’ve kind of already met her, so I don’t know how that works. Whatever you want is _totally_ fine. I just—I mean, if you could maybe get her to stop calling me _Dr_. Isak, I would really appreciate that because after a certain point, it’s going to stick and—” 

“Isak,” Even stopped him with a laugh and it gave Isak a chance to inhale a much-needed gulp of air. "I'm not going to hide you from my daughter. I mean, I probably won't tell her we're dating right away, but after a little while—when we're sure. Yeah, of course I'll tell her." 

"Okay," Isak sighed, like that was actually something he was worried about. "Good." His calm demeanor suddenly fell away and he groaned, burying his head in his hands. "God," he said, looking over at Even from between his fingers. "I just really want her to like me. I feel so ridiculous, like I'm trying to use your kid to impress you, but—" 

"Isak," Even said, rolling his eyes. "Never apologize for being nice to my kid because it's kind of a huge fucking turn on." 

"Yeah?" Isak asked, endearingly hopeful. Even nodded, hoping that Isak could see the truth in his eyes, and he must have because he smirked over at Even in a way that was almost predatory. Even wanted to jump over the table and kiss him right there in front of everyone, to get lost in it until Isak was late for work, but he held back, his mind chanting _first date_ at him over and over as a constant reminder that he was supposed to wait. Judging by the hooded look in Isak's eyes, however, he thought he might not care about the impropriety of it. 

He was just about to throw caution to the wind and say _fuck it_ when his phone started ringing. He groaned at the interruption and Isak chuckled across from him as Even dug it out of his pocket. "It's Sonja," he said, looking down at it. "Sorry, I've got to get this. She usually doesn't call during the day unless it's about Juliet." He answered the phone and brought it to his ear. "Hello?" 

"Oh, good. You're not at work," Sonja said, sounding more annoyed than worried. Even's nerves immediately calmed. If something had happened to Juliet, Sonja would be a lot more frantic. 

"Yeah, we've been doing night shoots all week. What's up?" 

Sonja sighed wearily. "So the school just called and _apparently_ your daughter is sick." 

Even snorted. " _My_ daughter is not sick. She's trying to get out of that spelling thing this afternoon. Make her stay." Isak raised his eyebrows in amusement across from him and Even rolled his eyes at the absurdity of this conversation. 

"Yeah, I told the nurse that," Sonja agreed, "but she said she's complaining about her stomach and they can't send her back to class if there's even a chance she's actually sick. So can you please go pick her up? I'm the only manager here right now and I can't leave the store unattended." 

"Yeah, yeah," Even sighed. "I'll go." 

"And don't coddle her!" Sonja said. "Send her straight to her room. No TV, no iPad, no books. Just make her stare at the wall until I get off work. I'm not going to put up with this shit." 

"No fun," Even grinned. "Got it." 

"I'm serious, Even!" 

"I am too," Even assured her. "I'll text you when we get home, okay?" Sonja heaved another weary sigh, like she didn't believe a word Even was saying, but eventually agreed and they said their goodbyes. 

"You have to leave?" Isak deduced as soon as he hung up the phone. 

Even nodded sadly. "You sure you want to put up with all of this?" 

Isak rolled his eyes. "Why? Because you're ending our date..." He looked down at his watch. "Three minutes early? I think I can handle it. Plus, it would be a total waste to back out now because I've already invested a good thirteen hours watching your entire filmography and a shit ton of YouTube interviews, so..." 

"Oh my god," Even groaned, burying his head in his hands, but Isak just laughed. 

"Don't," he said, pulling Even's hand away. "You in your tux, on the red carpet—it was hot as hell."

Even rolled his eyes, but couldn't help but feel _a little_ pleased with himself as he stood to throw their trash away. When he turned back around, Isak was waiting for him, leaning against the table they had just been sitting at, and Even took a second to admire how gorgeous he was in his tight khaki pants and lavender button-down, his thick curls blowing in the early autumn breeze. Unable to resist any longer, Even stepped up to him, boxing him into the table, and threaded his fingers through his hair, pulling him in for a gentle kiss. When he broke away a few seconds later, Isak was blushing, his fingers tangled in the fabric of Even's jacket. 

"I'll talk to you later?" Even asked, backing away, and Isak nodded, still looking a little dazed. Even forced himself to leave, knowing he had to go get Juliet, but he had only made it a few steps before Isak called him back. 

"Oh, shit, Even, wait," he said, running up to him. "I still don't have your fucking phone number." Even groaned at his own stupidity and they exchanged numbers quickly, Even giving Isak the contact name "Dr. McSexy" because when the fuck else was he going to get the chance? Once they finished, Isak leaned in, gave him a quick peck on the lips like they were an old married couple, and then left Even alone to deal with his daughter and her fake illness. 


	5. Chapter 5

5\. 

Things progressed quickly once they had the means to make plans without using Juliet as a go-between and soon Even’s life was overflowing with an abundance of Isak. He had initially wanted to take things slow—because that’s what parents were supposed to do, right?—but he just couldn’t. Every second he spent away from Isak physically pained him. It was like there was an itch inside of him that couldn’t be scratched—a constant buzzing under his skin, telling him that something wasn’t right until Isak was with him. 

So if Even wasn’t on set, he would meet Isak at his office for lunch. The staff now knew him by name and he had done what he could to make them love him—bringing doughnuts and coffee and other treats whenever he got the chance. He wasn’t entirely sure it was working, but it was enough to get them to turn in the opposite direction when Isak dragged him into his office to make out during his lunch break. With all of the positive reinforcement Isak was giving him, Even's fear of doctors' offices had disappeared entirely. 

The actual _dating_ part of their arrangement was a bit more difficult. Even had Juliet every other week and he wasn’t willing to hire a babysitter when she was with him since they had so little time together to begin with, so all of their dates were limited to weeks when Juliet was with Sonja. They went to movies and museums and the beach. Even dragged Isak to set, introduced him as his boyfriend, and let him be an extra in a scene they were filming. In turn, Isak brought Even along to some fancy charity dinner at the hospital—which was boring as hell, but Isak more than made up for it in bed later that night. 

It was perfect—every second Even spent with him was absolutely perfect. His heart raced at just the sight of Isak smiling at him and the longer they were together, the bigger his heart grew until he wasn’t sure where he was supposed to store all of the emotions he was feeling. He had never felt like this with Sonja—hadn’t even imagined that this was something you could feel about someone else. The closest comparison he had was the love he felt for Juliet. It was all-consuming, unconditional love and he wasn’t quite sure what he had done to deserve it. 

Still, they didn’t tell Juliet—not because Even had any doubts that it was going to work out, but because he wanted her to love Isak on his own merit. Despite the fact that Juliet had never once voiced any interest in her parents getting back together, Even worried that introducing Isak as his boyfriend might brew some competition and he didn’t want that to taint Juliet's perception of him. So they kept quiet about what exactly they were to each other, but, as promised, Even did not try to hide Isak from his daughter. In fact, everything inside of him wanted to _share_ him with Juliet. To let her see how amazing he was so she could fall in love with him too. 

The first time Isak came over to see Juliet after they started dating, he was a stuttering bundle of nervous energy, but she actually screamed in excitement at the sight of him. 

“Dr. Isak!” she cried, running across the room to wrap her arms around his knees. "What are you doing here?" 

Isak blushed under the attention and looked up at Even, like maybe he would answer that question for him, but Even just motioned for Isak to speak for himself. “Uh,” he said, patting Juliet’s hair. “I just came to spend some time with you and your dad. Is that okay?” Juliet nodded and then pulled away so that she could grab his hand and lead him back to her bedroom where she kept all of her toys. 

“Yeah, we can play with my dolls!” 

When they reached her bedroom, she gave Isak her Elsa doll—which was her favorite—and Even’s heart leapt at the sight. Isak, of course, didn’t understand the significance of the doll, but he took it regardless. Even watched from the doorway as they played, a soft smile on his face, but after an hour, he figured Isak could use a rescue. “Let’s let Isak take a break for a little while, okay?” he asked, stepping farther into the room, but as soon as he spoke, Juliet started pouting. Even knew before Isak said anything that he was going to lose this battle. It took years to develop an immunity to that pout—Even knew from experience. And, sure enough, Isak fell victim to it. 

“It’s okay,” he said, looking back at Even hopefully. “I don’t mind. We can play a little longer.” 

“A little longer” turned into three hours, but Isak never seemed the least bit annoyed that this was how he was spending a Saturday afternoon. Even busied himself making dinner while they played and then, after dinner, the three of them settled in the living room—Juliet on the floor and Even and Isak curled up together on the couch—to watch _Moana_ , which Isak reluctantly admitted he had never seen. 

Juliet fell asleep about halfway through the movie, which Isak was more than willing to point out to Even with a suggestive smirk on his face, and Even wasted no time picking her up off of the floor and moving her to her bedroom where he woke her just enough to get her changed into pajamas and then put her back to bed. 

“She asleep?” Isak asked eagerly when he returned, _Moana_ still playing on the TV behind him. Even chuckled and nodded, joining Isak on the couch once more. Immediately, Isak closed the space between them and kissed Even hard on the lips, like he had been waiting to do that all night. 

“Hi,” Isak said, his lips moving against Even's as he spoke. 

“Hi,” Even agreed, running his fingers over Isak’s face, trying to convince himself that he was actually real. Isak dived in again, pressing their lips together, and soon their soft, innocent kiss had devolved until Even was lying back on the couch with Isak on top of him, the two of them kissing frantically as Isak grinded his erection into Even’s thigh. 

“Isak,” Even warned, but then Isak started kissing down his neck and Even found that he couldn’t think straight, so he pulled Isak back up to his lips and they continued what they had been doing before, only now Isak’s kisses were sloppier, his thrusts more uneven. He snaked his hand between them, cupping Even’s dick through his pants, and that little bit of friction was enough to push Even over the edge. He broke the kiss, gasping for air, and thrust up against Isak’s hand until he was coming between them, careful to only emit a small whine when all he really wanted to do was scream his pleasure throughout the entire house. 

He looked up into Isak’s eyes and got lost in the black hole of his pupils—he was blinded by lust, humping down on Even mindlessly, but Even could tell that that alone wasn’t going to get him off, so he quickly unbuckled Isak’s belt, ignoring his soft whimper of protest, and pulled his pants down just far enough that he could reach inside and pull out his cock. He wrapped his hand around him and began stroking him hard and fast because he knew Isak was close—there was no point dragging it out. 

“Fuck,” Isak hissed once he got his hands on him, leaning down to bury his face in Even's neck, like that might somehow make him quieter. It didn’t, but Isak did have the good sense to bite down hard on Even’s shoulder as he came, stifling his scream into the fabric there. Even’s shirt ended up coated in Isak’s come because he hadn’t had the foresight to take it off, but he found that he didn’t care. He was already filthy after his own orgasm. What was a little more come at this point? 

Isak collapsed down on top of him, soft and pliant, and Even stroked his back, breathing him in, reveling at the feel of his body pressed against him as the music of _Moana_ continued to play in the background. 

“Oh my god!” Isak cried when his wits came back to him, burying his red face into Even’s chest. “I am so sorry. I know I wasn’t supposed to do that with Juliet here, I just completely lost it. I—” 

“I mean,” Even interrupted with a laugh, shuffling uncomfortably beneath Isak in his wet underwear. “The only rule I gave you was that our clothes had to stay on while she was in the house and, well, they’re still on.” 

Isak snorted, lifting his head up to look down at Even. The lust was gone from his eyes, but it had been replaced with something equally as mesmerizing. He was looking at Even like he was the most amazing thing he had ever seen and Even couldn’t help but reach out and run a hand through Isak’s hair, smiling when Isak leaned into the touch. 

“I hope this isn’t Juliet’s favorite movie or anything,” Isak noted, looking over at where the credits were just starting to roll. “Because I have a feeling I’m going to be popping inappropriate boners anytime I hear this music ever again.” 

Even grinned. “Well, I do have the soundtrack, if you’re interested.” 

They made out lazily on the couch for a few more minutes before Isak finally decided it was time for him to go. Even walked him to the door, kissed him on the front porch like they were teenagers, and then watched him get in his car and drive away, wondering to himself how long it would be before he was able to stay. 

* 

It was a month after they started dating and Even and Sonja were sitting in his kitchen going over Juliet’s schedule for the week when something Sonja said peaked Even's interest. 

“And then on Saturday she has a birthday party to go to, but I can take her if you want me to. I don’t know if it’s going to be one of those where the parents stay, but I at least know Eva, so it wouldn’t be as awkward for me to mingle.” 

“Wait,” Even stopped her. “Whose birthday party?” 

“Isabel Vasquez,” she replied, looking up from her planner. “She hasn’t been over here, has she? Dark, curly hair? Hardly says a word?” 

Even huffed out a laugh. “No, she hasn’t, but we ran into her and her father at the movies one day. I can go. I don’t mind.” Sonja raised an eyebrow doubtfully and when Even just shrugged, she squinted in suspicion and dropped her pen onto the table. 

“Okay, talk. What’s going on?” 

“Nothing!” Even cried. “I just thought it might be nice to give you a break.” 

Sonja snorted, clearly not believing him. “And?” 

Even rolled his eyes. “And…” he said, drawing out the word to give himself more time to think of a lie, but he gave up after only a few seconds. “Isak will be there,” he admitted. 

Sonja let out a tinkling laugh. “That’s still going on?” she asked with an amused smile. Even nodded, sitting up a bit straighter in his chair, slightly worried about where this line of questioning was going to take them. “And you still haven’t told Juliet?” 

Even sighed. “No,” he said. “I want to, but I can’t seem to find the right time. I just want to make sure she likes him for him first, you know? Is that weird?” 

Sonja shook her head. “Of course not, Even, but she talks about him _all_ the time. I think it’s safe to say she likes him.” 

“She does?” Even asked, perking up. “What does she say?” 

Sonja shrugged. “I don’t know. Just kid stuff. She likes that he pays attention to her—keeps comparing him to Kristoff from _Frozen._ What does this guy look like, anyway? Do you have a picture?” 

“Um,” Even mused as he pulled his phone out of his pocket, trying to remember if he had any appropriate pictures of Isak saved. He had plenty of his dick, but he doubted that was what Sonja was looking for. “Oh, here,” he said, finding one and passing it over. It was a picture Juliet had taken the week before after Isak had let her paint cheap make-up onto his face and stick a crown atop his head. 

“Oh, now that’s adorable,” Sonja said, smiling down at it. “ _This_ is our pediatrician? Damn, Elise was right. He’s gorgeous. She’s going to be super jealous when I tell her you’re dating him.” Even couldn’t help but preen a bit at the praise. “Okay, well, yeah, you can take her to the birthday party then. Tell him I said hi.” 

* 

When they arrived at the Vasquez’s house on Saturday, Juliet rushed Even out of the car and practically dragged him to the open gate leading into the backyard. “Come on, Daddy,” she whined. “Hurry! We’re going to be late.” He didn’t bother to tell her that they were _already_ late because it was totally his fault. Juliet had been ready on time for once, but Even had stood in front of his closet for almost a half hour, lamenting that he had absolutely nothing to wear before finally pulling on a tight pair of jeans and a plain white long-sleeve shirt, which he hoped looked like he was trying, but not trying too hard. It was a fine line he was walking. 

The backyard was full when they arrived and the two of them stood back, just taking everything in. Kids were running around everywhere, yelling and screaming in joy, taking turns swinging on the swing set and kicking a football to each other. Juliet watched the scene in rapture, but Even was more distracted by the group of adults sitting at a cluster of picnic tables in the center of the yard, surrounding by bright colored balloons and a veritable mountain of presents. Even spotted Isak immediately and was pleased to find that he was already smiling over at him. 

“Hey, Juliet, look who it is,” he prompted, gesturing to Isak. Juliet’s smile got larger and she took off running, meeting Isak halfway across the yard and jumping up into his arms. Even from a distance, Even heard Isak laugh. By the time he reached them, Isak was pointing Juliet towards a craft table by the fence where Even could just make out the dark, curly hair of Isabel and Jonas, bent over some sort of art project. 

“Just put your present over there first,” Isak continued, pointing, and Juliet nodded before leaving them both to run off and join the party. Isak watched her for a few seconds before turning to look at Even who was smiling down at him fondly. 

“Hey,” he greeted, reaching out to grab Isak's belt loops and pull him into his body. Isak grinned at him slyly, looking over his shoulder to make sure Juliet was not watching, and then gave him a quick peck on the lips. 

“You’re late,” he noted. 

Even sighed. “Yeah, sorry about that. I was trying to find something to wear that would impress your friends.” 

Isak snorted, but dragged his gaze down Even’s outfit, dipping his fingers into the V-neck collar of his shirt and pulling it down just slightly. “It’s impressing _me_ ,” he admitted and Even grinned. 

“Yeah?” 

“Yeah. Come on. I’ll introduce you. They’re not scary—I promise.” He was half right. They _were_ scary, but Even didn’t think it was by any fault of their own. They weren’t trying to be—they just _were_ , probably because Even knew they were the closest thing to family that Isak had. Isak introduced them quickly and succinctly, ignoring the heckling jokes tossed his way by Magnus and Mahdi, and Even was surprised to find that he actually recognized one of them. 

“Yousef,” he greeted before Isak could do the honors, unsure what he was more startled by—seeing him for the first time since high school or seeing him with a chubby-cheeked baby bouncing on his lap. 

“Hi, Even,” Yousef smiled. “It’s been a while. Sana will be sorry that she missed you. She got called into work early this morning.” 

Even sat down at the table next to Isak, who immediately put a reassuring hand on his thigh and didn’t move it until Isabel called him away to play with her a little while later. “I’ll be right back,” he whispered into Even’s ear. “Will you be okay here or do you want to come with me?” Even loved him for asking, but he was deeply enthralled in a conversation with Yousef about what their old high school friends were up to now, so he let Isak go with a soft squeeze of his hand. 

“They’ve been teasing him about you all morning,” Yousef said as soon as Isak was out of earshot, jerking his head towards Mahdi and Magnus, who were sitting across from them. They both immediately started laughing. 

“Oh my god, it wasn’t us!” Magnus cried, throwing his arms into the air. “It was Jonas! He was the one who said you were way too hot to ever fall for Isak—although, I mean, seeing you now, I kind of have to agree with him.” 

Even chuckled. “Have you seen _him_? I’m not the most attractive person in this relationship, I promise you.” Magnus cooed, but before he could say anything else, Jonas plopped down in the seat next to Even. 

“Hi,” he said with a smile, nudging him in the shoulder like they were old friends. “Glad you made it.” 

They had only been talking for a few minutes when Eva came over, introduced herself to Even, and then asked Jonas to go get the cake from the kitchen so that they could get started. Jonas readily agreed and Even went with him to help, but he was quickly distracted watching Isak play with Juliet and Isabel from the kitchen window. They were each hanging off of one of his arms, screaming in delight as he worked to pick up one and then the other, and Even couldn’t help but smile at the sight. He was perfect. So, so perfect. 

“He’s good with them,” Jonas said, coming up behind him. Even startled slightly at the interruption and Jonas grinned in amusement. 

“Oh, um, yeah,” Even said, looking back out the window. “He is.” 

Jonas took a step closer, but, like Even, never stopped watching the scene unfolding in front of him. “He never wanted kids, you know,” he said after a minute, causing Even’s blood to run cold. He looked over at Jonas in surprise, but Jonas just smiled up at him. “And when he started dating you, I reminded him of that. I was worried that he didn't understand what he was getting into. That he’s not just dating you—he’s dating your kid and your ex-wife and all of the baggage that comes with that. I wanted to make sure he understood that if you two stay together, that’s _his kid_ _too_ , you know? And he’s not just going to get the fun stuff like he gets with Isabel. He’s going to get the early mornings and the late nights and the screaming and crying, the not having sex for a week because your kid insists on sleeping in your bed every night. He’s going to be responsible for another person and I wasn’t sure he got that—so I reminded him. And you know what he said?” 

Even swallowed hard, a lump of emotion rising in his throat, and shook his head, terrified of what Jonas might say next. “He thought about it for a long time,” Jonas said, looking back out the window where the two girls had now toppled Isak to the ground. “And eventually just turned to me, completely helpless, and said, ‘I love her.’” Even’s breath hitched in his throat, but Jonas was nice enough not to look over at him as he tried not to react. “I know it’s not my place to tell you this,” he continued with a sigh. “And please never tell Isak that I did, but if it was me, I would need to know. Before I let myself fall completely, I would need to know that the person I was with understood just what they were getting themselves into. So this is me, telling you that he understands.” Then, without another word, Jonas squeezed him on the shoulder and walked back into the yard, arms piled high with desserts for the kids. 

Honestly, Even hadn’t even been aware that was something he was worrying about until Jonas said it aloud, but now, with relief coursing through his body, it was like he could see the whole world more clearly than he ever had before. He hadn’t dared let himself hope that Juliet was something Isak could not only tolerate, but actually _want_ , and now that he knew she wasn’t some sort of burden that he was just putting up with for Even’s sake—well, that changed everything. It felt more real, somehow. More _permanent_. 

He looked out the window and found Isak, who was now sitting on the ground letting the girls mess with his hair, but they were soon distracted by Jonas calling everyone over for cake. Isak stayed where he was as the two girls took off running, but Juliet hadn’t made it more than a couple of steps before she tripped over her own feet and fell to the ground hard. 

“Fuck,” Even said, immediately running into the backyard where Juliet’s cries could already be heard. Isak was closer and reached her first, bending down to check on her, and as soon as Juliet saw who it was, she fell into his arms, burying her face in his neck. Isak seemed surprised, but pulled her closer to him regardless, stroking her hair to try to calm her. 

“Are you okay?” Isak was asking when Even knelt down next to them. “What hurts?” 

Juliet was crying too hard to answer, but it was impossible to miss the blood flowing out of a large gash on her knee. “Jules,” Even said, reaching for her, and she immediately climbed over to Even instead, letting him pick her up. 

“I know where Jonas keeps the first aid stuff,” Isak said, standing as well. “Come on. We’ll get you fixed right up.” 

By the time Even got her on the kitchen counter, her tears had stopped and he strongly suspected that she was more embarrassed than anything. Even wet a paper towel and pressed it against the wound while Isak ventured farther into the house in search of bandages. 

“You okay?” Even asked as she continued sniffling. She said nothing, but nodded. “Is it just your knee that hurts?” Another nod. 

When Isak got back with a box of bandages, Even moved out of the way for him to take over since he was, you know, trained for this shit. “Let’s see,” he said, lifting the paper towel stained with blood to examine the wound. It had thankfully stopped bleeding. “Oh, that’s not too bad,” Isak smiled up at her. “You had me worried there for a second.” Juliet giggled, eyelashes still wet with tears, and glanced over Isak’s shoulder to look at Even. 

Isak cleaned and dressed the wound quickly, once again allowing Juliet to pick out her desired bandage (a plain purple one this time). “All good?” he asked and when Juliet nodded, he placed one smacking kiss on her forehead, causing her to laugh, and then set her down on the floor where she quickly scurried out the door, eager for her slice of cake. Isak watched her go, probably checking to make sure she wasn’t limping, and then turned back to Even. 

“Thank you, Dr. Valtersen,” Even smirked, causing Isak to roll his eyes, but Even was having none of that. He reached out and pulled Isak into his body and although he acted like Even was being ridiculous, he snaked his arms around his neck anyway. “No, seriously though,” Even said with a soft kiss on the lips to make sure he heard him. “Thank you.” 

“I didn’t actually need a medical degree to do that, you know?” Isak asked. 

“I know. But you did it anyway.” 

Even backed him up against the counter and kissed him until he couldn’t breath, letting Isak tangle his fingers in his hair as he thought about the words Jonas had said to him earlier. _He loves her. Even though he doesn't have to, he loves her._ Although his lungs were close to bursting, he kissed him harder, gripped him tighter, wanting to show him that he accepted every little part of him, just as Isak accepted him. 

It was Isak that eventually broke away, gasping for air, and he looked up at Even, pupils blown, with a question in his eyes. “What was that for?” he asked quietly, his chest still heaving with the air Even had stolen from him. He looked so cute with his face flushed and his hair a mess. Even couldn’t take it anymore. 

“I love you,” he breathed and watched as Isak’s eyes widened marginally in surprise before his face softened into a smile. He nuzzled closer to Even, rubbing the tip of his nose along his temple, and then gave him one soft kiss on the lips before speaking the words that healed every single long-forgotten wound that Even still had inside of him. 

“I love you too.” 


	6. Chapter 6

+1. 

Even knew something was off as soon as he picked Juliet up from school that Friday. She wasn't as effervescent as usual and just slumped down in the backseat, responding to all of Even's questions with one-word answers instead of prattling on about her day like she usually did. Her eyes were cloudy, she was coughing up a storm, and Even didn't need to be a doctor to know that she was getting sick. He hoped it was just a cold, but as the night wore on and she slept through the movie he put on for her, then didn't touch a bite of dinner, he started to worry that it was something more. By the time he put her to bed, she was burning up but shivering beneath two layers of blankets. 

"Fuck," he muttered, staring down at her. She didn't react, just curled up tighter beneath the covers. 

He called Sonja first—despite knowing that she would be out of cellphone range until Sunday doing something outdoorsy with her new boyfriend—and, sure enough, she didn't answer no matter how many times he tried. With shaking fingers, he dialed Isak instead. He answered on the second ring. 

"Even, its midnight," he mumbled, clearly amused. "Is this a booty call?" 

"God, I wish," he muttered. "But no. There's something wrong with Juliet." 

Even heard the shuffling of bed sheets and a lamp flicking on in the background. "What's going on?" 

"I don't know," Even huffed, looking down at his sleeping daughter. "She was fine when I dropped her off at school this morning, but now she's, like, really sick. She's got a fever and her head is hurting and—" 

"It's probably the flu," Isak interrupted before Even could work himself into a panic. "It's been going around." 

"Okay," Even said. "So what do I do?" 

Isak sighed deeply. "There's not much you _can_ do. You've just got to let it pass. Do you have Advil? That'll bring the fever down." 

"Um..." Even mused. It took him a while to think. "Yeah, I have Advil." 

"Okay, well give her some of that. Make her drink some water when she wakes up, but just let her rest for now." He was quiet, waiting on Even to respond, but Even was too distracted watching Juliet. "Even?" Isak prompted. "Are you okay?" 

No, no he was not. "Can you come over?" he asked, trying not to sound as pathetic as he felt. Juliet had been sick before, of course, but it never got easier to watch her suffer and not be able to do anything about it. He wasn't good at this stuff. He had no bedside manner whatsoever and was far from a calming presence when he had a sick child looking to him for comfort. He had no idea what he was doing. 

"Yeah, of course," Isak said without hesitation and Even could hear him already climbing out of bed. "You just get her some Advil and leave the door unlocked for me, okay? I'll be there in a few minutes." Even wanted to ask Isak to stay on the phone with him, but having something to do helped calm his nerves, so he grabbed the Advil from his medicine cabinet and brought it to Juliet with a glass of water. 

"Sweetie," he said, crawling into bed behind her so that he could sit her up against him to take the medicine. "I need you to take this for me. It'll make you feel better." She struggled against him, but eventually choked down the Advil, and he even got her to take a few sips of water before she started crying. "Shh, shh," he soothed, pushing her damp hair off of her forehead. "It's going to be okay. You'll feel better soon." As he was talking, Juliet began to mutter something into his shirt, over and over, but Even couldn't make out what she was saying. "Jules?" he eventually asked. "What is it? What do you need?" 

"I want Isak," she cried petulantly and Even breathed a sigh of relief. That, he could do. 

"Isak's on his way," he promised, pulling her closer. "He'll be here soon." 

Less than twenty minutes later, Even heard his front door click open and then closed again before Isak's footsteps traipsed down the hall. And then he was there, standing in the doorway still wearing his winter jacket, his cheeks flushed from the biting wind outside. 

"Hey," he whispered to Even, and although Juliet was half-asleep, she forced her eyes open at the sound of his voice. "Hey, princess," he said when he saw that she was watching him. He pulled off his jacket and shoes and then walked over to the bed, leaning down to kiss her forehead. "Did you go and get sick on me?" 

She nodded, her eyes already drifting closed again. "Are you gonna make me feel better?" she mumbled. 

"I'm going to try," he said, sitting down next to her on top of the covers. Immediately, she used what little strength she had to wriggle out of Even's lap and over to Isak, resting her head on his thigh and curling into his body as she drifted back to sleep. Isak's eyes widened in surprise and he looked to Even worriedly, like he was expecting him to be mad. Even, however, just breathed a sigh of relief and Isak seemed to take that as permission to get comfortable on top of the bed, moving Juliet just enough so that he could lay back, his head resting right next to Even's on the pillow. Juliet snuffled a bit as he moved her, but her eyes never opened. 

Even watched Isak watch Juliet. He was staring down at her, eyebrows furrowed, running his fingers over her hair. Despite the fact that he had said there was nothing they could do, he seemed unsettled. It occurred to Even that despite all of the sick children he’d seen over the years, this might be the first one that had tugged on something inside of him like it was his own child. 

"Thank you for coming," Even said after a few minutes. 

Isak smiled over at him. "Of course." 

"She was asking for you." 

"Yeah?" he asked hopefully. 

"Yeah," Even grinned. 

Isak looked back down at Juliet and studied her carefully. "Tonight should be the worst of it," he said after a minute. "Hopefully the fever will break by morning." 

Even nodded and the two of them laid in silence for almost an hour, Juliet curled between them on her small bed, Isak's fingers never stopping their careful stroking through her hair. When Even was sure she wasn't going to wake back up, he spoke again. "Do you want to move to the living room? There's not much space here." 

Isak frowned, looking down at Juliet. "I'm okay here," he said, turning to Even. The way he said it though—like there was nowhere else he'd rather be than squeezed into a too small bed with Even and his daughter—it sounded a lot like he was saying _I'm never leaving_. 

Even grinned. "Yeah?" 

Isak, probably noting the unadulterated happiness in Even's voice, smirked over at him. "Yeah," he agreed. "Now go to sleep. I'll watch her—make sure the fever doesn't get any worse." He reached over and flipped off the lamp next to his head, plunging the room into darkness, and although Even wasn't particularly tired, he found that lying wrapped in the arms of the two people he loved most in the world was enough to soothe him to sleep. 

* 

He awoke hours later to sunlight streaming through his daughter's window and his phone ringing loudly on the table next to him. He sat up groggily, his muscles cramping from having slept in such a small bed, but when he finally opened his eyes, he was surprised to find that he was alone. He looked around the room just to check, but there was no sign of either Juliet or Isak, although Isak's coat and shoes were still in a pile on the bedroom floor. 

The phone stopped ringing for only a second before starting again, so Even answered it as he climbed out of bed, wanting to find his kid. "Hello?" he asked, his voice thick with sleep. 

"What's wrong?" Sonja answered immediately and Even let out a silent groan, remembering the ten missed calls he was sure she had on her phone. 

"Shit, Sonja, I'm sorry," he said as he made his way downstairs. "I didn't mean to worry you. Juliet got sick last night and I freaked out a little bit, but it's fine now." 

"She's better?" Sonja asked worriedly. "Was she running a fever?" 

"Yes, she was running a fever, but I called Isak and—" 

"Oh, Even, you didn't," Sonja groaned. "Please tell me you did _not_ ask our pediatrician to make a house call in the middle of the night." 

Even huffed, slightly offended at the implication. "I mean, I've had his dick in my mouth, Sonja," he hissed. "I don't think he minds making house calls." 

Sonja gave him an exasperated sigh, but seemed to sense that there was no point arguing. "Can I just talk to her, please?" 

"Yeah, sure," Even agreed. "Hold on. Let me find her." He realized immediately that that was not the right thing to say since Sonja screeched his name through the phone in horror, but he just lowered it from his ear and continued his trek downstairs. 

The TV was playing cartoons when he walked into the living room and although he couldn’t _see_ Isak, he could hear the clanging of pots and pans from the kitchen. Ignoring that for the time being, Even approached the bundle of blankets on the couch and was greeted with a bright smile. 

"Hey," he grinned, kneeling next to Juliet and reaching out to feel her forehead, which was thankfully much cooler than it had been the night before. "You feeling better?" 

She nodded and although she still looked a little out of it, there was life in her blue eyes again. "Isak's making me breakfast," she murmured. 

"Yeah?" Even laughed, looking towards the kitchen. "Are you hungry?" 

"Not really," she shrugged. "But he said he was going to make it anyway." 

"Okay. Well, your mom's on the phone. Can you talk to her for a second?" Juliet's smile lit up even more and she weaseled her arm out from underneath the blankets to take his phone. 

"Momma!" she cried excitedly. Even smiled and then left them to talk, wandering into the kitchen to find Isak. He was bent over the sink when Even got there, washing dishes as the smell of bacon wafted through the air, but even the bacon couldn’t distract Even from the sight of him, still rumpled from sleep, wearing the same sweatpants and T-shirt he had been the night before. Even wondered if Isak knew just how much it turned him on to see him in his house, still sleep soft from the night before. He cleared his throat and Isak turned in surprise, shutting off the water as he did so. 

“Morning,” Even said and Isak smiled. 

“Morning,” he replied, making grabby hands at him like Juliet did when she wanted a toy. Even rolled his eyes, but walked into Isak’s arms regardless, kissing him on the forehead. “Did you see Juliet?” Isak asked, looking up into Even’s eyes. “I took her temperature this morning and it’s still a bit high, but I gave her some more Advil and I think she’s feeling better.” 

“I saw her,” Even said, running his nose along Isak’s jaw. “Thank you. I don’t know what I would have done if you weren’t here.” 

Isak snorted. “Freaked out, most likely,” he smiled. “But seriously, Even, all I did was tell you to give the girl Advil. You really need to learn how to use WebMD.” 

“Why would I do that when I have the real thing right here?” Isak tried to brush his comment off by rolling his eyes, but Even could tell he was pleased. He gripped the front of Isak's shirt tightly and pulled him forward the last few inches so that he could press their lips together. It was an innocent kiss, a thank you of sorts— _thank you for being here, thank you for loving me—_ which was lucky because they were interrupted a second later by a giggle at the door. 

They startled apart, both turning to look towards the noise, and found Juliet standing there with Even’s phone in one hand and a thick, wool blanket wrapped around her shoulders. She just smiled over at them, offering no additional commentary, and Even found that he was speechless. He could feel Isak watching him, looking for some sort of guidance, but when he gave him none, Isak just pushed him away gently so that they were no longer standing with their arms wrapped around each other. 

“ _You_ are supposed to be resting,” Isak scolded playfully, scooping Juliet up in his arms so that he could place a smacking kiss on her cheek. She screamed in pleasure and Isak smiled before setting her down at the table. “What do you want to eat, Juliet?” he asked. “We’ve got toast, cereal, or fruit.” 

“I want bacon,” she said immediately, but Isak just shook his head. 

“No bacon for you until you can convince me your stomach isn’t hurting. Here,” he said, passing her a glass of water. “Drink this for me and I’ll fix you some toast, okay?” 

Juliet began to timidly sip on her water as Isak walked back towards Even. “You want a plate?” he asked, gesturing to the eggs and bacon sitting on the counter. Even shook himself out of his stupor and nodded. 

“Yes, please.” 

He then joined Juliet at the table as Isak bustled around the kitchen, but she didn’t say anything about what she had seen until Isak returned with food for all three of them. 

“Are you two dating?” she asked, looking up at Isak. He froze with his arm outstretched, but quickly recovered and set the plate down, glancing over at Even because they both knew it was his question to answer. 

“Uh, yeah, Jules,” Even said when he finally found the words. “We are.” 

Juliet’s smile got wider and you could practically see the excited energy radiating off of her. “Are you in love?” she asked. Isak laughed, watching as she nibbled on the corner of her toast, but once again deferred to Even. 

“Yeah,” he agreed. “We are.” 

“Are you going to get married?” She was giggling again and Even knew it would be so easy to just jokingly answer her question and be done with it, but looking up into Isak’s green eyes, shining bright with amusement, he couldn’t help but think about just how badly he wanted to put a ring on his finger. They hadn’t been dating nearly long enough for him to be thinking of marriage, but it was impossible not to fall hard when he did things like make house calls in the middle of the goddamn night and take care of his daughter like she was his own. He wanted them to be a family. 

“Maybe some day,” he finally said, giddiness bubbling over when Isak turned to him with wide eyes. “If I get really lucky.” 

* 

Juliet slept through most of the day and Even and Isak alternated between hovering over her in her bedroom and making out on the couch. When Juliet would wake up, she was too tired to play, but Isak was more than happy to read to her when she asked. Even would just sit back and watch them, still reeling from their conversation earlier. He wasn’t sure what he had been expecting when Juliet found out he and Isak were dating, but he _had_ expected _something_. It was like she wasn’t even surprised—like she had known all along. And while he was comforted that she was so receptive to Isak and obviously loved him, it was still unexpected. There had been this nagging thought in the back of Even’s mind for months—ever since that first day he’d walked into the doctor’s office and made a fool of himself—that Isak was a luxury he was not allowed to have. Now that he had it, now that it was out in the open, he wasn’t sure what to do next. 

It occurred to him as he listened to Isak read, making funny voices for each of the characters as Juliet cuddled beneath his arm, that this was his life now—just the three of them, together, for as long as Isak would have him—and once the realization struck, he didn’t stop smiling for a very long time. 

By dinner, Juliet was able to get down half a sandwich without any nausea, but once she ate and took a bath, she was sleepy once more. Even tucked her into bed, kissed her goodnight, and then, when Juliet mumbled Isak's name into her pillow, he did as well. 

“Will you still be here when I get up?” she asked, eyes already half-closed. 

“I’m not sure,” he admitted, looking over at Even. “But I’ll see you soon, okay?” Juliet nodded and Even turned off her lamp. She was asleep before they closed the door behind them. 

As soon as they were in the hallway, Even took Isak’s hand and pulled him in for a gentle kiss. “Will you stay for a little while?” he asked, even though it was getting dark outside and Isak had been in his house all day. Isak, without any hesitation, nodded. 

Even ended up putting on a movie for them and they cuddled together on the couch to watch it. He had hoped that maybe they could make out during it instead of actually paying attention, but he’d underestimated just how invested Isak would become once he saw Even’s name in the opening credits. 

“Oh my god, what is this?” he cried, turning to Even excitedly. “I thought I had watched all of your movies.” Even ignored his enthusiasm and moved the collar of his T-shirt aside so that he could kiss his neck, but Isak pushed him away. “Even!” 

Even chuckled. “It’s not out yet,” he admitted, “but we’re showing it at a film festival at the end of the month. Do you want to go with me?” Isak smiled at him brightly and nodded. God, he was cute. Even couldn’t resist leaning forward and giving him a playful kiss on the nose. 

As the movie began to play, Isak was enraptured by it and Even was enraptured by Isak. He thought this might be his new favorite thing: watching Isak watch his movies. Despite all of the accolades and commendations from experts in the field, Isak’s opinion somehow meant _more_. By the time the movie ended, Even’s heart felt very full. 

The two of them had been lying on the couch, Isak half on top of Even, as the movie played, but Even forced Isak to sit so that he could shut off the TV, plunging the living room into near darkness. Isak laughed. “You didn’t think that one through,” he said, but Even didn’t mind the dark. Once his eyes got adjusted to the dim lighting, he leaned in and kissed Isak, pulling him forward until he was sitting in his lap. 

They kissed for a long time—so long that Even’s lips were numb by the time Isak finally pulled away—but it was nice, being consumed by him for a little while. 

“I should probably get going,” Isak said when he pulled back, dropping his forehead onto Even’s shoulder. Even was pleased to note that he was gasping for air, his lungs just as spent as Even’s were. 

“You don’t have to,” he breathed, pulling Isak’s face up to look at him. He could feel a telltale hardness in Isak’s pants and didn’t think that the other man actually wanted to leave—although, hell, maybe he did. Even had certainly overworked him this weekend. Instead, he thought that Isak was holding onto the precedent that Even had set: no sleepovers while his daughter was in the house. That rule seemed so ridiculous now when Juliet already knew that they were more than friends, when she was asking whether Isak would still be there when she woke up. Isak looked down at him fondly and kissed his lips. “You can borrow my clothes,” Even continued. “I know you’ve been here for a long time, so if you want to go, that’s fine. But if you want to stay, that’s fine too.” 

“I don’t want to go,” Isak admitted against his lips. “I never want to go.” 

The idea came to Even suddenly and, as he was prone to do where Isak was concerned, he said it aloud before he could even think through the ramifications of what he was saying. “Then don’t. Move in with me.” Isak reeled back slightly, probably surprised at Even’s words, but Even couldn’t bring himself to regret them. In fact, the more he thought about it, the more it made sense. He had never been as sure about anything as he was about Isak. “Maybe not right away,” he added because he thought that might make him sound a little less crazy. “But when your lease runs out.” Isak swallowed hard, his eyes roving Even’s face, looking for any sign of a lie, but Even knew he wouldn’t find any. 

Isak let out a nervous laugh. “You just want a doctor on call at all hours,” he joked, but Even was quick to shake his head. 

“No, Isak,” he said, cupping his face in his hands. “I just have a feeling you’re going to be around for a while—forever, if I can manage it—and Juliet grows up so fast. I don’t want you to miss that. Every night you aren't here, that's one less night you get to tuck her into bed. One less day you get to help her with her schoolwork. I don't want to take that away from you. She's not going to be six forever. Soon she’s going to be a moody teenager—and, actually, this is a great idea because I need you to fall in love with her now, so you don’t wring her neck later on.” 

“Even,” Isak breathed and his face looked utterly _broken_. Even didn’t know what that meant. “I’m already in love with her. I’m in love with _both of you_. I—You’re serious, aren’t you? You really want me to move in?” Even nodded eagerly and the next thing he knew, Isak was kissing him again, hard and desperate. He felt a tear roll down Isak’s cheek, but he brushed it away and kept kissing him until the unanswered question got to be too much between them. 

“So you’ll do it?” he asked, his cheeks hurting from smiling so hard. “You’ll move in with me?” 

Isak laughed, but it was a happy sound, filling the room with warmth. “Let’s see how tonight goes first,” he said, bending down so that he was looking Even straight in the eyes. “But yes. Yes to all of it.” 

They stayed tangled on that couch, hearts full to bursting, until late into the night, unable to stop touching for long enough to even move to the bedroom. And as Even sat there, thinking about all of the milestones Juliet still had ahead of her, he knew, without a doubt, that Isak would be by their side for every single one. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! I have been overwhelmed with the love for this fic, so I hope the ending lived up to expectations <3


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